Scunthorpe
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has estimated that the global average sea level has risen 150 mm during the past century and estimates that there will be a further rise between 180 and 590 mm in the next 100 years.
But how does this affect us?
I have interviewed a local councillor in Scunthorpe who has provided me with information on flooding in Scunthorpe, England and the surrounding area.
Nearly 400,000 people live or work on low-lying land around the Humber estuary so it is one of the many places that will be affected by rising sea levels if the council does nothing to protect communities and habitats in the area.
In the area, we have a "Humber Strategy" which outlines our flood risk management plan for the Humber Estuary for at least the next 25 years. It looks at different ways of managing flood risk such as raising defences when appropriate, introducing sites for managed realignment and flood storage which will help maintain valuable habitats. It aims to ensure a good standard of protection from tidal flooding for the next 25 years + for 99% of the residents round the estuary and its important industrial areas.
However, funding is limited and there are difficult descisions to be made therefore it will not be possible to improve all the estuary's defences.
Not only is the surrounding area of the Humber Estuary in danger, but also several areas of North Lincolnshire. Scunthorpe is on mostly high ground and only tends to flood when highway drains etc. become blocked. The council has produced strategic flood risk maps which identifies all land prone to flooding so they can ensure no houses or other developments take place on the site. So far, land found as most prone to flooding include flood plains and agricultural areas with isolated settlements.
This picture shows an example of a flood plain in North Lincolnshire called Alkborough Flats. To combat the flooding problem here, they are letting the farm land next to where the three rivers, the Humber Estuary, The River Trent and The River Ouse meet, flood over.
It seems to me that the council are beginning to realise the possible destruction global warming can cause and that every precaution needs to be taken, however, is this enough or is it too late?